The Rise of Block C

Most universities across the country have announced their admission threshold scores this year after the graduation exam scores were released. The threshold scores range from 14 to 24 depending on the school, major, and admission combination. In general, these threshold scores are similar to those in 2023.

However, in the recent high school graduation exam, we witnessed a spectacular rise in the subjects of literature, history, and geography with scores increasing quite a bit (0.37; 0.54 and 1.04 points respectively), so the average score of this group is currently at 20.95, an increase of nearly 2 points compared to 2023. Therefore, the floor score and the forecasted standard score of group C will increase compared to previous years. This is a good sign for the majors that recruit this group, usually social majors after many years of being overlooked and having lower admission scores than other majors.

10 years ago, when the high school graduation exam was held with 4 subjects, including 2 compulsory subjects (math, literature) and 2 elective subjects, in many schools, no students chose history to take the exam. The percentage of candidates choosing history was very low (11% in 2014, 15% in 2015), reflecting students' indifference to this subject. But since 2017, the number of candidates choosing history has begun to increase, and the scores for this subject have also gradually increased. This phenomenon is not necessarily due to a breakthrough in the way history is taught in high schools, making students love this subject more, but mostly because they want to enroll in majors that have block C admission.

The fact that candidates register for university entrance exams every year reflects quite closely and quickly the development of those professions in society. The rise of block C comes from the fact that our country is increasingly developing, social professions are flourishing with many new, trendy and high-income career positions such as public relations, advertising, content development on social networks... Besides, in traditional professions of the social sector, there are also more job opportunities such as law, psychology, sociology... Many schools allow registration for block C, which has never happened before, such as 15 schools in the medical and pharmaceutical group that recruit group C08 (literature - chemistry - biology). Diversifying the group C admission combinations with 21 combinations, instead of just one traditional combination, also helps more candidates register for admission according to this group. The combination of literature, history, geography with math, physics, chemistry, and biology in block C helps improve the situation of students studying lopsidedly, only focusing on social subjects or only focusing on natural subjects.

Faced with the phenomenon of exam scores and admission scores for subjects in group C increasing so much, there is a public opinion that candidates are rushing into social sciences, causing the quality of admission to other majors to decline. This concern is very unrealistic because the increase in scores for one subject group and the decrease in scores for another subject group is not a cause and effect relationship, especially when group C has many combinations that are a combination of both natural and social sciences subjects.

The fact that university education in our country is shifting towards meeting the needs of society is a positive sign. The important thing to do is to develop the economy evenly in all areas, so that all majors will be of interest to candidates, rather than adjusting training mechanically and arbitrarily without basing it on social needs.